1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to intelligent hotspot connection systems and methods, and more particularly, to systems and methods that automatically determine a hotspot and/or the process for logining to the hotspot according to user preference and hotspot properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, applications for wireless networks have become more important and valuable due to increased convenience and functions of portable electronic devices. Related infrastructures, such as hotspots/access points, must be set up by the wireless network service provider, such that users can link and login to the wireless network service via their portable electronic devices.
Generally, when users want to link to a wireless network, a wireless network scanning module in their electronic devices must be activated to detect available wireless network providers in a surrounding environment. Users must determine and select a specific provider by themselves, and manually operate their electronic devices to link to the hotspot supplied by the specific provider. In some situations, a user may respectively have several accounts for wireless network providers, and the signal strength, charge conditions and connection mechanisms for each wireless network provider may be different. Therefore, users usually determine a wireless network provider according to several characteristics such as signal strength, cost, charging rate or security enhancement. It is troublesome for users to determine which wireless network provider or hotspot should be connected. Additionally, since there are different login procedures for each wireless network provider, users must intimately know login procedures and corresponding account names and passwords for different wireless network providers. Memorization and operation of several account names/passwords and login procedures are indeed troublesome for users.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,239 discloses a method and system to customize and update a network connection application for distribution to multiple end-users. In this patent, the system can automatically recognize and mark the hotspots which belonging to one alliance for helping the users to select. However, no automatic determination mechanism for hotspots based on user preferences is provided.